A Red Midnight
by Heartwing
Summary: The Doctor convinces Donna to join him on the Crusader 50, a trip which has a very different outcome than he was hoping for.
1. Midnight

**Title: **A Red Midnight**  
>Author: <strong>Heartwing**  
>Summary: <strong>The Doctor convinces Donna to join him on the Crusader 50, a trip that leads to a rather different outcome than he had hoped for.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>All I own is series 4, a windup dalek, a keychain, a few books, a poster and a calender.  
><strong>Author's Note: <strong>This is un-beta-ed and hasn't been Brit-picked. I tried my best, but my program only acknowledges American spellings. If I made any awful mistakes, please let me know.  
>I'm also fairly new to writing in this fandom, and this is my first big project in a while.<p>

* * *

><p>"Doctor, I said no!"<br>"Donnaaaa! It's a sapphire waterfall! A waterfall made of sapphires! This enormous jewel, size of a glacier, reaches the Cliffs of Oblivion, and then shatters into sapphires at the edge - they fall 100,000 feet into a crystal ravine!"

Donna smiled indulgently, glad that the Doctor couldn't see. She knew that if he prodded her a bit more she'd give in. "I bet you say that to all the girls."

"Oh, come on! They're boarding now! Donna, how often do you see a waterfall made of sapphires?" He whined at her, "Pleaaaaase, Donna! It's no fun alone."

Donna gave an exaggerated sigh, a smile spreading across her face. "Fine. But you owe me."

"A date? Dinner at that anti-gravity restaurant. With bibs."

Donna laughed. "How about a beach as well, since you're interrupting my sunbathing."  
>"It's a date."<p>

Donna sat down next to the Doctor with a huff. "Couldn't have waited outside, could you spaceman?"

The Doctor opened his mouth, likely with an excuse, but the hostess standing nearby beat him to it. "Welcome to the Crusader 50. Here are the headphones for Channels 1 to 36, the modem link for 3D videogames, complimentary earplugs, complimentary slippers, complimentary juice pack, and complimentary peanuts. I must warn you some products may contain nuts."

"That'll be the peanuts." The Doctor explained to Donna, who was looking a little overwhelmed at all the complementary items being loaded onto her.

"Yea, I gathered that, spaceman."

"Enjoy your trip."

"Allons-y!" The hostess gave the Doctor a bland smile before moving on to the people behind them.

"So how exactly does this work? A waterfall of sapphires?" Donna asked the Doctor

"Well," The man behind them leaned forwards. The Doctor and Donna turned around to face them. "They call it a sapphire waterfall, but there's no such thing. Sapphire's an aluminum oxide, but the glacier is just a compound silica with iron pigmentation."

Donna blinked. "Erm-"

"Oh, I'm being rude! Hobbs, Professor Hobbs." The professor shook hands with them.

The woman next to them leaned forwards as well. "And I'm Dee Dee, Dee Dee Blasco."  
>"I'm the Doctor, hello!" He said with a large grin. "And this is Donna Noble."<p>

Donna smiled. "Hello."

"This is my fourteenth time," The professor told them after they shook hands.

"Oh?" The Doctor asked. "It's our first."

The Hostess walked towards the front of the cabin. "Ladies and gentlemen and variations thereupon, welcome on board the Crusader 50, if you would fasten your seatbelts, we'll be leaving any moment. Doors!"

Donna watched as the doors automatically sealed. "That's fancy," she murmured to the Time Lord sitting next to her.

"Shields down!" The Hostess ordered and the window shades descended. "I'm afraid the view is shielded until we reach the Waterfall Palace. Also, a reminder, Midnight has no air, so please don't touch the exterior door seals. Fire exit at the rear, and should we need to use it... you first." Donna rolled her eyes as the Hostess laughed at her own joke. "Now I will hand you over to Driver Joe."

She stepped back as the intercom came on. "Driver Joe at the wheel! There's been a diamondfall at the Winter Witch Canyon, so we'll be taking a slight detour, as you'll see on the map._" A map popped up on a screen. "_The journey covers 500 kliks to the Multifaceted Coast, duration is estimated at four hours. Thank you for travelling with us, and as they used to say in the olden days, wagons roll!"

The Doctor grinned at Donna as the shuttle started moving. She rolled her eyes at him but smiled at his enthusiasm.

The Hostess stepped forwards again. "For your entertainment, we have the Music Channel playing retrovids of Earth Classics." She pushed a button on her remote and a screen appeared in front of everyone playing a music video. "Also, the latest artistic installation from Ludovico Klein." She pushed another button to start a hologram show. "Plus, for the youngsters, a rare treat - the Animation Archives." An old cartoon started on a projector screen. "Four hours of funtime! Enjoy!"

The Doctor and Donna looked around at the others as they were bombarded by all the sound. Donna met the gaze if the woman across the aisle, who rolled her eyes. Donna smirked and turned back to the Doctor. "Make it stop," she quietly begged him. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and made it all shut down.

"Well, that's a mercy!" Professor Hobbs happily said.

"Much better, isn't it," Donna added.  
>The hostess frowned and pulled out her remote, trying to get it to work. "I do apologise, ladies and gentlemen and variations thereupon. We seem to have a failure of the Entertainment System." Donna and the woman smiled at each other.<p>

"But what do we do?" asked a woman behind them.

"We've got four hours of this!" added her husband. "Four hours of just... sitting here?  
>The Doctor sat up excitedly and turned around to face them. "Tell you what! We'll have to talk to each other instead!" Donna and the Doctor smirked at each other as all the passengers looked surprised at that strange idea.<p>

98 KLIKS LATER...

The Doctor and Donna were sitting next to the couple, Val and Biff, who were telling a story.

"So Biff said, 'I'm going swimming,'" Val started.

"Oh, I was all ready, trunks and everything! Nose plug!"

"He had this little nose plug, you should've seen him."

"And I went marching up to the lifeguard, and he was a Shamboni, you know, those big foreheads?"

"Great big forehead!" Val repeated, rather unnecessarily in Donna's opinion.

"And I said, where's the pool? And he said..."

"The pool is abstract!" Val and Biff said together.

"It wasn't a real pool!" Val added before bursting into laughter.

"It was a concept!"

"And you wore a nose plug!" Asked the Doctor.

"I was like this," Biff told him before pinching his nose. "Mmm...where's the pool?"

Everyone burst out laughing again, apart from Donna who really didn't get it, and the woman, who was sitting alone reading a book.

150 KLIKS LATER...

The Doctor and Dee Dee were in the galley, getting coffee.

"I'm just a second-year student," She told him, "but I wrote a paper on the Lost Moon of Poosh, Professor Hobbes read it, liked it, took me on as a researcher. Just for the holidays." She heasitated. "Well, I say researcher, most of the time he's got me fetching and carrying. But it's all good experience!"

"And did they ever find it?" The Doctor asked her, accepting the cup she offered.

Dee Dee looked confused. "Find what?"

"The Lost Moon of Poosh!"

Dee Dee giggled at him. "Oh no! Not yet!"

The Doctor smiled at her. "Well, maybe that'll be your great discovery, one day." He raised his cup. "Here's to Poosh!"

She raised hers as well. "To Poosh!"

209 KLIKS LATER

Donna and the woman, Sky, sat together eating their meal.

"No, we just travel together. Well we're sort of together, the Doctor and I. We're best friends, but sometimes… sometimes it almost seems like he wants more, but then his mood just turns around and he gets all silly again. What about you? Do you have anyone?"

Sky shook her head. "No, it's just me."

"Oh, I've tried that. Travelling on my own. I don't mind it. You get to do what you want, go anywhere. I prefer traveling with the Doctor though."

"I'm still getting used to it," Sky said. "I've found myself single rather recently, not by choice."

Donna nodded in understanding. She could relate. "What happened?"

"Oh, the usual," Sky told her. "She needed her own space, as they say. A different galaxy, in fact. I reckon that's enough space, don't you?"

"Yeah… I had a fiancé who left me for a giant spider."

Sky quickly changed the subject. "Oh, what's this, chicken or beef?"

Donna examined a piece on her fork. "I'm really not sure."


	2. Stopping

**Title: **A Red Midnight**  
>Author: <strong>Heartwing**  
>Summary: <strong>The Doctor convinces Donna to join him on the Crusader 50, a trip that leads to a rather different outcome than he had hoped for.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>I can haz Tennant plz?  
><strong>Author's Note: <strong>This is un-beta-ed and hasn't been Brit-picked. I tried my best, but my program only acknowledges American spellings. If I made any awful mistakes, please let me know.  
>I'm also fairly new to writing in this fandom, and this is my first big project in a while.<br>A HUGE thank you to those who reviewed. It means a lot.

* * *

><p>251 KLIKS LATER...<p>

So, this is Midnight, d'you see? Bombarded by the sun!" Professor Hobbs gestured wildly in front of a screen showing a diagram of the planet. He was clearly excited, which made sense, Donna supposed, considering he'd been studying the planet for years. "Xtonic rays, raw galvanic radiation. Dee Dee, next slide!" Dee Dee carefully changed to the next one, a diagram. "It's my pet project. Actually, I'm the first person to research this. Because you see... the history is fascinating, because there is no history. There's no life in this entire system, there couldn't be. Before the Leisure Palace Company moved in, no-one had come here in all eternity. No living thing."

Donna frowned. "Well how do you know that? If you can't go outside. They can't possibly have explored the whole planet then."

"There could easily be life," Jethro added.  
>"Oh, here we go, with his imagination. Don't encourage him," Val said to Donna. Donna's eyes narrowed and she was about to scold the narrow minded mother when the Doctor spoke up on her behalf.<p>

"Donna's got a point, though. Both of them do."

"Exactly!" The professor excitedly said. "We look upon this world through glass. Safe inside our metal box. Even the Leisure Palace was lowered down from orbit. And here we are now, crossing Midnight, but never touching it."

The cabin rattled and wheezed, the engines grinding to a halt. Donna could hear faint beeping, an alarm with her luck. She and the Doctor looked at each other. Another vacation plan ruined. It wasn't the first, and Donna knew it wouldn't be the last. Not with that skinny trouble magnet she traveled with.

"We've stopped," Val pointed out.

"Really? I hadn't noticed," Donna muttered under her breath. She didn't really like this woman. Val reminded her of her mum. Donna could tell already that she was going to be less than useful in an emergency. And heaven knows that this was an emergency, or it would be soon.

"Are we there?" Biff asked.

Dee Dee shook her head. "We can't be, it's too soon." Donna liked her. She, unlike half the other passengers, knew how to use her brain

The professor disagreed. "They don't stop, Crusader vehicles never stop."

"Well obviously we have," Donna told him.

The hostess tried to remain calm and in control. "If you could just... return to your seats, it's... just a small delay." Donna could tell this was a lie, it was obvious enough that she had no more idea what was going on than the rest of them. Donna watched as the hostess walked to the back. She picked up a phone to talk with the drivers.

"Maybe just a pit stop," said Biff, clearly in denial as he sat down. Donna had to bite her tounge to stop herself from giving him a sarcastic retort. The last thing she wanted was to send them into a panic.

"There's no pit to stop in," Professor Hobbs told them all. "I've been on this expedition 14 times, they never stop."

"Well evidently, we have stopped, so there's no point in denying it." Sky said almost exactly what Donna wanted to say to those two morons. She turned around as she heard a laugh coming from behind her.

"We've broken down!" Jethro seemed rather pleased by this turn of events.

"Thanks, Jethro," his mum said sarcastically.

"In the middle of nowhere!"

His father spoke this time. "That's enough, now stop it!"

Ladies and gentlemen and variations thereupon, we're just experiencing a short... delay," The Hosstess said walking up the aisle and removing the screen they were gathered around before the car stopped. "The driver needs to stabilise the engine feeds. It's perfectly routine, so if you could just stay in your seats..." The Doctor and Donna looked at each other. There was nothing routine about this. The Doctor started walking towards the cockpit. "No, I'm sorry sir, I... could you please..."

The Doctor flashed her the psychic paper. "There you go, engine expert! Two ticks!"

"Sorry sir, if you could just sit down! You're not supposed to be in there..." Donna smirked as the Doctor closed the door in the useless hostess's face.

"Everybody, please, stay sitting." She tried to comfort them. "As soon as the drivers stabilise the engine, we'll be back on our way. It won't take long."

Donna rolled her eyes as she got comfortable. The other passengers settled as well. No one spoke, and the silence seemed heavy.

A minute later, the door slid open and the Doctor walked out. Everybody looked up, clearly expecting something.

Sky stood up. "What did they say? Did they tell you? What is it, what's wrong?"

"Oh, just stabilising, happens all the time." The Doctor gave her one of his please-just-believe-me smiles.

Sky didn't listen to the smile. "I don't need this. I'm on a schedule. This is completely unnecessary!"

The Hostess walked in between them. "Back to your seats, thank you." She smiled at them until Sky sighed and sat down. The Hostess opened the door into the cockpit and went in.

"Doctor," Donna whispered to him once he sat down. "What's really going on?"

"They've sent for a rescue shuttle," The Doctor told her under his breath. "I'm not quite sure why we've stopped."

Dee Dee leaned forwards. "Excuse me, Doctor," she interrupted quietly, "but they're micropetrol engines, aren't they?"

"Now, don't bother the man." The professor scolded.

"My father was a mechanic. Micropetrol doesn't stabilise, what does 'stabilise' mean?"

"Well... Bit of flim-flam. Don't worry, they're sorting it out."

"So it's not the engines?" Hobbs broke in again.

The Doctor tried to keep him calm. "It's just a little pause, that's all."

"How much air have we got?" Donna winced as he got the attention of the other passengers. If they started panicking, it would not end well.

"Professor, it's fine." The Doctor's tone clearly warning him to stop.

Val jumped in. "What did he say?"

"Nothing!" The Doctor told her.

"Are we running out of air?" She asked in panic, just as the Hostess returned.

Professor Hobbs tried in vain to calm her down. "I was just speculating."

"Is that right, miss?" Biff asked the hostess. "Are we running out of air?"

"Is that what the Captain said?" His wife added. Donna rolled her eyes.

"If you could all just remain calm..."

"How much air have we got?" Val demanded, not even giving the hostess time to answer.

"Mum, just stop it," Jethro pleaded.

"I assure you, everything is under control." The hostess's voice got a little high pitched.

"Well, doesn't look like it to me!" Biff yelled.

Val tried to lay the blame on the professor. "Well, he said it."

Everyone started talking at once, getting louder and louder.

The Doctor rose from his seat. "Shhh shhh shhh..."

"OI!" Donna bellowed. That shut everyone up instantly. "Thank you," she said sarcastically.

"Now," said the Doctor, "if you'd care to listen to my good friend Dee Dee..." He motioned to her to stand up.

"Um," She complied, though looked a little uncomfortable with everyone looking at her. "It's just that... well, the air's on a circular filter so... we could stay breathing for ten years." She sat back down.

"There you go!" The Doctor kept his voice as level as possible, not wanting to set them off again. "And I've spoken to the Captain, I can guarantee you, everything's fine."

Everyone froze as two loud knocks reverberated throughout the shuttle.

* * *

><p><strong>Don't worry, soon I'll start getting away from doing just about the exact same thing as the episode.<br>Reviews are very much welcome! :)**


	3. Accusations

**Title: **A Red Midnight**  
>Author: <strong>Heartwing**  
>Summary: <strong>The Doctor convinces Donna to join him on the Crusader 50, a trip that leads to a rather different outcome than he had hoped for.  
><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>Hahahahahahaha No.  
><strong>Author's Note: <strong>This is un-beta-ed and hasn't been Brit-picked. I tried my best, but my program only acknowledges American spellings. If I made any awful mistakes, please let me know.  
>I'm also fairly new to writing in this fandom, and this is my first big project in a while.<br>A **HUGE** thank you to those who reviewed. It means a lot!

I'm so sorry this one took so long to finish! School started back up last week, and uh, I uh, erm, see, I went and got Skyrim, so, uh, that's been taking up a lot of time too :/ Sorry about that. But to make it up to you, a suuuuuuper long update. Like, 26 pages in Word. Took me forever. Also, it's past Midnight and I just finished it, so if there's any reeeaaaally bad mistakes, that's why.

* * *

><p>Everyone froze and looked at the left hand wall.<p>

"What," Val whispered, "was that?"

Professor Hobbes came up with what he thought was a perfectly logical explanation. "It must be the metal. We're cooling down, it's just settling."

"Rocks," Dee Dee added. "Could be rocks falling." Donna knew that traveling with the Doctor meant that it was rarely ever a logical explanation.

Biff was rather unhappy with the whole breaking down thing. :What I want to know is, how long do we have to sit here?"

**Knock knock.**

Everyone tensed as the tapping came from the other side of the shuttle.

"What is that?" Sky asked fearfully.

"Is someone out there?" Val added.

"Now, don't be ridiculous!" the Professor scolded.

Dee Dee repeated what she said before. "Like I said, it could be rocks"

"We're out in the open," The Hostess said rather unhelpfully. "Nothing could fall against the sides."

"Of course not," Donna muttered under her breath. It never was that simple.

**Knock knock.**

It moved again, about three feet back. Everyone turned to stare at that spot. Donna glanced at the other passengers' faces. All were fearful, or at least wary, but the Doctor wasn't the only one who looked fascinated. Jethro almost looked pleased.

"Knock knock," The Doctor muttered, thinking hard.

"Who's there?" Jethro was definitely enjoying this.

Sky, on the other hand, was most definitely not. "Is there something out there? Well? Anyone?"

**Knock knock**

"What the hell is making that noise?"

"I'm sorry, but the light out there is Xtonic, that means it would destroy any living thing, in a split-second. It is impossible for someone to be outside." He still refused to believe that outside life was possible. Donna and the Doctor knew better, and the rest of the cabin was starting to believe too.

**Knock knock**

"Two knocks, Doctor. Always two." Donna whispered, but she wasn't sure if he could even hear her.

Sky screeched at Hobbes. "Well, what the hell is that, then?"

The Doctor went to the wall where the last two knocks came from, Donna following. He pressed his ear up against the wall, listening. Donna watched him intently.

"Please!" The Hostess pleaded with them. "You really should get back to your seats."

Donna gave her a Look. "Bit late for that, don't you think?"

**Knock Knock**

Everyone spun to face it as it seemed to move closer and closer to the fire exit at the rear.

"It's moving..." Jethro pointed out unnecessarily.

**Knock Knock**

Even further back, still on the left wall.

**Knock Knock**

That time, on the door itself. And even worse, the door bloody rattled. It was trying to get in, whatever it was. The Hostess backed away in fear.

Val, once again, pointed out the obvious. "It's trying the door!"

Professor Hobbes was fed up with this nonsense. "There is no 'it', there's nothing out there. Can't be."

"Clearly there is!" Donna snapped at him.

The door rattled again. Everyone froze and warily stared at it.

**Knock knock**

Everyone jumped and looked up to where the knocks came from. This time, the middle of the ceiling.

**Knock knock**

At the right hand corner.

**Knock knock**

On the right hand wall, at the entrance door.

"That's the entrance," Val pointed out slightly hysterically "Can it get in?"

"No, that door's on two hundredweight of hydraulics," Dee Dee assured her.

"Stop it," Her boss hissed at her. "Don't encourage them."

"Then what do _you _think it is?" Dee Dee retorted.

Biff stepped forwards and walked towards the door. Donna could appreciate courage, but sometimes it was just stupid. She was afraid it was one of those times.

His wife pleaded with him to stay back. "Biff, don't."

The Doctor agreed. "Mr. Cane, better not-"

Biff reached for the door, touching it gently. "Nah, it's cast iron, that door..." He knocked three times to assure himself nothing could get through. It was silent for a few seconds.

**Knock knock knock**

Donna jumped, and the whole group collectively gasped and stepped back.

"Three times!" Val sounded like she was about to burst into tears. "Did you hear that, it did it three times?

"It answered!" Jethro added

"It did it three times!" Val repeated

The Doctor stepped in front of them to try to take control again. 'All right, all right, all right, everyone, calm down."

"No, but it answered," Sky was as shaky as Val. "It... answered, don't tell me that thing's not alive, it answered him!"

Donna put her hand on Sky's shoulder, hoping to comfort the other woman

**Knock knock knock**

That was not helping.

"I really must insist, you get back to your seats!" The hostess said again. Donna rolled her eyes.

Sky shrugged off Donnna's hand and took a few steps towards the Hostess. "No!" She yelled at her, "Don't just stand there telling us the rules! You're the hostess, you're supposed to do something!"

The hostess took deep breaths, trying not to cry. This was really getting out of hand.  
>"Alright, everyone. Just calm down. Breathe," Donna told them.<p>

The Doctor, being the unhelpful prawn that he was, went to the door and knocked four times.

There was a long silence. Everyone breathed deep, trying to calm themselves.

**Knock knock knock knock**

That sent poor Sky into a panic. "What is it, what the hell's making that noise? She said she'd get me. Stop it, make it stop, somebody make it stop! Don't just stand there looking at me, it's not my fault, he started it with his stories..."

"Calm down!" Dee Dee yelled at her.

"... and he made it worse..." Sky continued.

"You're not helping!" Val started yelling too.

The Doctor tried shushing people, while Donna walked to Sky, hoping to help.

'...why couldn't you leave it alone? Stop staring at me! Just tell me what the hell it is!"

"Calm down!" Dee Dee repeated.

**Knock. **

Everyone froze again.

**Knock. **

Sky backed away towards the cockpit door.

**Knock. **

"It's coming for me, ohh it's coming for me."

**Knock. **

"It's coming for me."

**Knock. **

" It's coming for me!"

**Knock. **

"It's coming for me!"  
>Donna hesitatingly reached after her.<p>

**Knock. **

She screamed.

**Knock. **

**Knock. **

**Knock. **

Each one getting closer to Sky

"Get out of there!" The Doctor yelled and reached for both Donna and Sky. He grabbed Donna around her waist and pulled her back against him. He stretched his arm out to Sky.

The whole shuttle rocked, lights went out and sparkles flew. Donna was flung from side to side, eventually landing against the seat with the Doctor lying on top of her when the shuttle stilled.

Everybody moaned and groaned as they attempted to sort themselves out. Normally, Donna would have shoved the Doctor off, muttering about hands, but she was too unnerved about the situation. His presence comforted her. He pushed his upper half up, still lying against her.  
>They studied each other's eyes for a brief second. "Are you all right?" He asked her.<br>"As well as I could be, considering. You?"

"Fine." He started to get up, when Donna grabbed his wrist, pausing him.  
>"Doctor, what is it?" She asked quietly.<p>

He gave her an unreadable look before hauling himself up. He reached out a hand to Donna and helped her up.

On a screen behind the Doctor, the singer continued singing. Donna watched as the picture fizzled out and went black.

"How are we?" The Doctor asked loudly, "everyone all right?"

"Earthquake," Professor Hobbs said, still trying to deny everything. "Must be."

"But that's impossible," Dee Dee said from the floor. "The ground is fixed, it's solid." Smart girl, as long as she could keep a level head.

"Torches," The Hostess said. "We've got torches, everyone, take a torch, they're in the back of the seats." The Doctor grimaced as the light was shined on his face. Everyone looked around for their torch, then started shining it around the cabin.

Donna grabbed hers and immediately turned to Sky. She was sitting facing the corner, the seats all around her were ruined. Donna went to her, but was afraid of getting too close.

"What happened to the seats?" Val asked.

"Who did that?" Biff added.

"They've been ripped up." Donna was getting tired of Val always pointing out the obvious.

When there was no movement or sound from Sky, Donna knelt down next to her and put her hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, Sky. We're all fine. You're fine. The walls are still up, nothing got in here." The wall above them is dented, but intact. "We're safe."

Behind them, the Hostess tried to reach the drivers. "Joe, Claude? Driver Joe, can you hear me?" She threw the phone down in frustration. "I'm not getting any response, the intercom must be down." She went to the cockpit and opened the door. Bright light filled the room. The Doctor, who was squatting behind Donna, grabbed her and turned her away from the light pulling her half into his lap in the process. Everyone cringed and screamed until the door closed again.

Val's voice was very high pitched. "What happened? What was that?"

Biff was as hysterical as his wife. "Is it the driver? Have we lost the driver?"

"The cabin's gone," said the Hostess, not quite believing it herself.

"Don't be ridiculous," The professor seemed to be in a constant state of denial. "It can't be gone, how can it be gone?"

"Well, but you saw it!" Dee Dee was getting fed up with him.

"There was nothing there, like it was ripped away." The hostess couldn't look away from the door.

Donna had gotten off the Doctor while Hobbs was refusing to believe anything. She was rubbing Sky's shoulders and murmuring little reassurances, trying to get her to turn around. "It's alright, you'll see. The Doctor will get us back safely, and it'll be another one those adventures you laugh about later. We'll be fine, apart from a ruined trip and a few bruises.

The Doctor crouched down in front of a little black panel near the door and started sonicing it.

"What are you doing?" Biff had a tone of accusation in his voice as he pointed the torch at the Doctor.

"That's better, bit of light, thank you. Molto bene!"

"D'you know what you're doing?" Val yelled at him.

"The cabin's gone, you'd better leave that wall alone!" Her husband added.

"The cabin can't be gone!" Hobbs insisted again. Donna and Dee Dee simulatniously rolled their eyes.

"No, it's safe," The Doctor told them, pulling away the panel to reveal a lot of wires. "Any rupture would automatically seal itself." All the wires were cut. "But something sliced it off. You're right. The cabin's gone."

"But if it gets separated..." the hostess prompted him.

"It loses integrity." The Doctor stood up. "I'm sorry, they've been reduced to dust. The driver and the mechanic." He hesitated before plowing on. "But they sent a distress signal. Help is on its way. They saved our lives! We're gonna get out of here, I promise." He tried to convince them. "We're still alive, and they're gonna find us."

"Doctor," Donna said quietly. He turned around and went down to her. Sky still hadn't moved.

"Right, yes, sorry," He ran his hands through his hair, still distracted by the cabin missing. "Have we got a medical kit?"

"Why won't she turn around?" Jethro asked.

"What's her name?" he asked Donna, choosing to ignore the kid's question.

"Sky Silvestry."

"Sky? Can you hear me?" He took Donna's place on the floor, who just scooted a few feet over. She wasn't going to leave the poor woman alone. "Are you all right? Can you move, Sky? Just look at me.

"That noise, from the outside..." Jethro started. "It's stopped."

"Well, thank God for that," His mother snapped.

"But what if it's not outside anymore? What if it's inside?" Her son speculated.

"Inside? Where?"

Jethro pointed his torch at Sky. "It was heading for her."

"Leave her alone!" Donna snapped at the boy. She moved up closer to Sky and spoke to her gently, "it's all right, Sky. I just want you to turn around, face me." She breathed a sigh of relief as Sky's hands moved off her head. Sky slowly turned around, head pointed towards the ground until she was facing Donna. She looked up right into her eyes. Donna felt a small chill run down her back until Sky broke eye contact. She met everyone else's gaze, only for a few seconds before moving on to the next person. When she got to the Doctor, she turned her eyes away right after making contact.

Donna leaned forwards again to look at her face, the Doctor hovering behind her. "Sky?" Donna asked as their eyes met again.

"Sky?" Sky repeated.

Donna's brows furrowed, Sky almost perfectly mirroring the movement. "Are you all right?"

"Are you all right?"

Donna hesitated and looked up at the Doctor. "Are you hurt?" he asked her.

"Are you hurt?"

"You don't have to talk," he continued.

"You don't have to talk."

"I'm trying to help."

"I'm trying to help." She kept repeating him in the exact tone he used the first time.

"My name's the Doctor."

"My name's the Doctor."

"Okay, can you stop?"

"Okay, can you stop?"

"I'd like you to stop."

"I'd like you to stop."

"Why's she doing that?" Professor Hobbs asked from the back where everyone else was huddled.

Sky turned and looked into his eyes. "Why's she doing that?"

"She's gone mad," Biff decided

Sky turned to him. "She's gone mad."

"Stop it!" Val ordered.

She got the ice-blue gaze next. "Stop it."

"I said stop it!"

"I said stop it!"

"I don't think she can." Dee Dee pointed out.

"I don't think she can."

"All right, now stop it, this isn't funny!" Professor Hobbs told the woman.

"All right, now stop it, this isn't funny!"

"Sh, sh, sh, all of you," The Doctor hushed them

"Sh, sh, sh, all of you."

Jethro seemed amused. "My name's Jethro!"

"My name's Jethro!"

"Leave her alone!" Donna scolded him.

"Leave her alone!"

The Doctor got in very close. "Why are you repeating?"

Sky met his eyes, but it seemed different than when she looked at the others, though he couldn't decide how. "Why are you repeating?"

"What is that, learning?"

"What is that, learning?"

"Copying?"

"Copying?"

"Absorbing?"

"Absorbing?"

"The square root of pi is 1.77245385090551602729816748..."

"The square root of pi is 1.77245385090551602729816748..."

"...3341. Wow!"

"...3341. Wow!" Donna wasn't sure, but it almost sounded sarcastic when Sky said it.

Everyone looked at each other in amazement. "But-" Hobbs was the first to break the silence. "That's impossible."

"But that's impossible."

"She couldn't repeat all that!"

"She couldn't repeat all that!" Dee Dee said.

"Tell her to stop!" Val snapped again.

"Tell her to stop!"

"She's driving me mad."

"She's driving me mad."

"Just make her stop!" Val was almost in tears

"Just make her stop!"

Everyone started talking at once, while somehow Sky managed to repeat after all of them. If they weren't stuck on a broken-down shuttle with a crazy and/or possessed lady on an alien planet with a deadly sun, Donna would have been impressed

"...stop her staring at me, shut her up..."

"...stop her staring at me, shut her up..."

"...a trick..."

"...a trick..."

"...that's impossible..."

"...that's impossible..."

"...I'm telling you, whatever your name is..."

"...I'm telling you, whatever your name is..."

The Doctor tried to regain control "Now, just stop it, all of..."

"Now, just stop it all of..."

"...her eyes, what's wrong with her eyes?"

"...her eyes, what's wrong with her eyes?"

"...copy anything..."

"...copy anything..."

"...Biff don't just stand her, do something, make her stop..."

"...Biff don't just stand her, do something, make her stop..."

"...you're scaring my wife..."

"...you're scaring my wife..."

"...Mrs Silvestry..."

"...Mrs Silvestry..."

"Six, six, six." Jethro said gleefully

"Six, six, six."

"Oi, let her be!" Donna yelled at the teenaged boy.

"Oi, let her be!"

"...make her stop..."

"...make her stop..."

The lights suddenly came back on with a high-pitched whine. Donna thanked the higher-powers-that-be for the silence that accompanied it.

"That's the back-up system," The Hostess said happily.

"Well," Biff said. "That's a bit better."

"What about the rescue, how long's it gonna take?" Val demanded.

The Hostess checked her watch. "About 60 minutes, that's all."

"Then I suggest we all calm down," Hobbs said, pacing back and forth. "This panic isn't helping. That poor woman is evidently in a state of..."

"...self-induced hysteria, we should leave her alone." Sky said the last part simultaneously with Hobbs.

Donna touched the Doctor's arm. "Doctor," she pointed out.

"I know," he said quietly.

"Doctor," The professor said, not noticing that Sky spoke with him, "now step back, I think you should leave her-" he realized Sky was speaking with him.

"Alone." Sky finished for him.

Professor Hobbs was taken aback. "What's she doing?"

"How can she do that?" Val and Sky asked. "She's talking with you... and with me! Oh, my God! Biff, what's she doing?"

"She's repeating," Jethro and Sky said. "At exactly the same time."

"That's impossible." Dee Dee and Sky muttered.

"There's not even a delay." The professor was amazed. Sky continued to talk with everyone, with the same tone and rhythm.

"Ohh man, that is weird."

"How is that possible?" Donna asked the Doctor

He didn't answer, but spoke to the group. "I think you should all be very, very quiet, have you got that?"

Val, as usual, ignored him. "How's she doing it?"

"Mrs Cane, please, be quiet." It wasn't a request, though Val seemed to think it was.

"But how can she do that? She's got my voice, she's got my words!"

Biff tried to calm her. "Sweetheart, be quiet, just... hush now. Hush. She's doing it to me!"

"Shut up!" Donna said very loudly. "Just shut up!"

Everyone was silent as the Doctor slowly stepped forwards and kneeled down in front of her. Donna was still sitting next to her.

"Now then, Sky," the Doctor started in the calmest voice he had, not wanting to send everyone else into a panic. "Are you Sky? Is Sky still in there? Mrs Silvestry?" They paused. "You know exactly what I'm going to say, how are you doing that?" The Doctor leant back a little bit. "Roast beef! Bananas! The Medusa Cascade. Bang! Rose Tyler Martha Jones Donna Noble TARDIS!" The Doctor was trying to trip her up, although if she could repeat the square root of pi it wouldn't be easy. "Shamble bobble dibble dooble. Oh, Doctor, you're so handsome. Yes I am, thank you." Donna rolled her eyes. Even in a crisis, he had to feed the gigantic ego of his. "A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O-" They both cut off suddenly. The Doctor gave a strange smile, letting Donna know he was on to something.

He stood up and backed away. "First she repeats. Then she catches up. What's the next stage?"

"Next stage of what?" Dee Dee was getting impatient at all the questions.

"That's not her, is it?" Jethro asked, "That's not Mrs Silvestry any more." Donna had to admit, as obnoxious as he was, the boy wasn't that stupid.

"I don't think so, no," The Doctor answered. I think... the more we talk, the more she learns. Now, I'm all for education, but in this case... maybe not. Let's just... move back." He took a deep breath and reached for Donna, pulling her off the ground when she didn't get up fast enough." Come on. Come with me." He herded them all towards the back of the cabin. "Everyone, get back, all of you, as far as you can."

"Doctor, make her stop." Val was very close to tears.

"Val, come on, come to the back, stop looking at her, come on, Jethro, you too. Everyone, come on... 50 minutes. That's all we need. 50 minutes till the rescue arrives. And she's not exactly strong, look at her, all she's got is our voices." He tried to comfort him

Val shook her head. "I can't look at her. It's those eyes." Sky's piercing blue eyes were very discerning.

"We must not look at goblin men." Dee Dee (and Sky) recited.

Everyone looked confused. "What's that supposed to mean?" Biff asked.

"It's a poem," the Doctor told them. "Christina Rossetti."

"We must not look at goblin men

We must not buy their fruits

Who knows upon what soil they fed

Their hungry, thirsty roots?" Dee Dee recited the poem for them.

"Actually, I don't think that's helping," the Doctor pointed out.

"She's not a goblin, or a monster, she's just a very sick woman!" Professor Hobbs whispered fiercely.

"Maybe that's why it went for her." Jethro speculated.

"There is no 'it'!" Hobbs (and Sky) insisted.

"Think about it though," Jethro said, "That knocking, it went all the way round the bus until it found her. And she was the most scared, out of all of us. Maybe that's what it needed. That's how it got in." He was very smart, Donna decided. Too bad it seemed he'd rather be a sullen, immature teenager.

"For the last time!" Hobbs whispered angrily. "Nothing. Can live. On the surface. Of Midnight!"

"You can't possibly know that!" Donna argued.

"I do! There is. No. Life!"

"Professor, I'm glad you've got an absolute definition of life in the universe, but perhaps the universe has got ideas of its own, hmmm?" Donna loved it when the Doctor got sarcastic. "Now trust me, I've got previous! I think there might well be some... consciousness inside Mrs Silvestry, but maybe she's still in there. And it's our job to help her."

"Well, you can help her, I'm not going near." Biff said.

"No, I've got to stay back," he said. "If she's copying us, maybe the final stage is becoming us. I don't want her becoming me, or things could get a lot worse." Donna nodded in agreement.

"Oh, like you're so special." Val snarled.

Donna bristled at her tone. She opened her mouth to tell her off, but the Doctor beat her to it. "As it happens, yes I am. So that's decided. We stay back, and we wait. When the rescue ship comes, we can get her to hospital."

"I'll help," Donna said determinedly. "What do you need, Spaceman?"

The Hostess cut her off. "We should throw her out."

"What?" Donna couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Can we do that?" Val asked hopefully.

"Don't be ridiculous," said the Doctor (and Sky)

"Of course not!" Donna said at the same time.

The Hostess was more than willing to debate it. "That thing, whatever it is, killed the driver, and the mechanic, and I don't think she's finished yet."

"She can't even move!" The Doctor argued back.

"Look at her, look at her eyes! She killed Joe, and she killed Claude, and we're next." The Hostess insitsted.

"She's still doing it," Biff snapped. He stomped towards Sky. "Just stop it! Stop talking! Stop it!"

"Biff, don't, sweetheart!"

"But she won't stop!" He marched back to the group. "We can't throw her out though, we can't even open the doors."

"No one is getting thrown out!" The Doctor told Biff, the warning clear in his voice. Donna quietly moved in between and the angry mob of passengers, ready to fight them off if it really had to come to that. The Doctor and Biff had a stare-down, while everyone watched. Biff looked away, then went back to the group.

Dee Dee mustered up courage to speak. "Yes, we can. Cos there's an air pressure seal." She turned to the Hostess. "Like when you opened the cabin door, you weren't pulled out, you had a couple of seconds, cos it takes the pressure-wall about six seconds to collapse. Well, six seconds exactly. That's enough time to throw someone out."

"Thanks, Dee Dee, just what we needed." The Doctor gave her one of his Looks. Not quite at the Oncoming Storm, but getting there. Dee Dee looked away, but didn't regret what she said.

"Would it kill her, outside?" Val asked Dee Dee.

"I don't know, but she's got a body now, it would certainly kill the physical form."

"You're not killing her!" Nobody paid any attention to Donna.

"I wouldn't risk the cabin door twice, but we've got that one," The Hostess pointed at the fire exit behind them. "All we need to do is grab hold of her and throw her out."

"Now, listen, all of you. For all we know that's a brand new life form over there. And if it's come inside to discover us, than what's it found? This little bunch of humans, what d'you amount to? A murder? Cos this is where you decide. You decide who you are. Could you actually murder her? Any of you? Really? Or are you better than that?" Everyone looked sutibly cowed by the Doctor's little speech. They all looked at each other.

"I'd do it." Said the Hostess, giving everyone else the prompt they needed to speak.

"So would I." Biff (and Sky) added.

"And me." Val agreed.

"I think we should." Dee Dee put in.

"What?" The Doctor said disbelievingly.

"I want her out." Dee Dee stood firm.

"You can't say that!" He argued.

"I'm sorry, but you said it yourself, Doctor, she is growing in strength."

"That's not what I said!"

"I want to go home. I'm sorry. I want to be safe."

"You'll be safe, any minute now, the rescue truck is on its way." He tried once again to calm them.

"But what happens then, Doctor?" The Hostess asked, "If it takes that thing back to the Leisure Palace, if that thing reaches civilisation, what if it spreads?"

"No, when we get back to the base, I'll be there to contain it."

"You haven't done much so far!" Val

"You're just standing in the back with the rest of us!"

"At least he's not trying to murder a sick woman who only needs help!" Donna yelled back

"She's dangerous," The Hostess insisted. "It's my job to see this vessel is safe, and we should get rid of her."

"Now hang on, I think, perhaps we're all going a little bit too far." Hobbs finally spoke up.

"At last! Thank you."

"Two people are dead!" The hostess was scared and angry.

"Don't make it a third!" He paused for a few seconds before turning to the boy. "Jethro, what d'you say?"

"I'm not killing anyone."

"Thank you." The Doctor was a bit calmer now that he had three people on his side. It was even. All he had to do was keep their heads level and distract them until help came.

"He's just a boy," Val said in a tone that reminded Donna of her own mum.

"What, so I don't get a vote?" Jethro snapped at her.

The Doctor finally lost what little patience he managed to hold on to. "There isn't a vote, it's not happening! Ever. If you try to throw her out that door, you'll have to get past me first." He was entering Oncoming Storm mode.

"And me," Donna agreed firmly from being him.

It was silent until the Hostess was again the one to speak up first. "Okay."

"Fine by me." Biff practically snarled at the Doctor.

"Ohh, now you're being stupid," The Doctor said exasperatedly. "Just think about it! Could you actually take hold of someone and throw them out of that door?" He got in Biff's space.

This time, Biff stepped forwards, accepting the unsaid challenge. "Calling me a coward?"

Val backed her husband. "Who put you in charge, anyway?"

"I'm sorry, but... you're a Doctor of what, exactly?" Hobbs asked.

"They weren't even booked in," The Hostess informed the others. "Rest of you, tickets in advance. They just turned up out of the blue."

"Where from?" Val (and Sky) asked the Doctor.

"We're just... travelling. We're travelers, that's all."

"Like an immigrant?" Val accused, "You haven't even told us your name!"

"Thing is, Doctor, you've been loving this," Jethro pointed out, "Both of you."

Donna didn't even know what to say anymore. She was capable of holding up against angry customers, even small groups of them, but murderous people from her future? Way out of her range of abilities. She briefly entertained the notion of just slapping them all into submission, but that would likely make it worse instead.

"Oh, Jethro," The Doctor said sadly, "not you-"

He hurried to defend himself. "No, but ever since all the trouble started, you've been loving it."

Professor Hobbs agreed with him. "It has to be said, you do seem to have a certain... glee."

"All right, I'm interested, yes," The Doctor admitted. "I can't help it, cos whatever's inside her, it's brand new, and that's fascinating!"

"What, you wanted this to happen?" Yelled Val (and Sky)

"Don't be ridiculous!" Donna yelled back

"And you!" Biff turned to Donna once she made them notice her again, "You were talking to her, all on your own, before all the trouble, right at the front, you were talking to that Sky woman, the two of you together, talking and laughing! I saw you."

Val nodded. "We all did!"

"What wrong with talking?" Donna was amazed at how single-minded they all were.

The Hostess pointed at the Doctor. "And you went into the cabin!"

"What were you saying to her?" Biff demanded of Donna.

"We were just talking!" Donna insisted.

"About what?"

"Life, traveling, what else is there to talk about?" Donna was feeling more than a little overwhelmed, but did her best to hide it. If the angry mob knew how scared she was, they'd walk all over her.

"You called us humans like you're not one of us!" Jethro said to the Doctor.

"He did! That's what he said!" Val agreed, incapable of doing anything but agreeing with any and all accusations thrown at the pair.

"And the wiring, he went into that panel and opened up the wiring." Dee Dee added.

"That was after!"

"But how did you know what to do?" Biff wondered.

"Because I'm clever!" The Doctor yelled back, causing them all to fall silent.

"I see," Hobbs finally snipped. "Well. That makes things clear."

"And what are we, then? Idiots?" Biff was still angry about the stare-down.

"That's not what I meant."

Dee Dee was insulted. "If you're clever then what are we?"

"You've been looking down on us from the moment we walked in," Val scolded him. "Both of you." Donna gave her an incredulous look, wondering how on earth she was looking down on a woman from a supposedly more advanced society. "Oh don't give me that look," Val said, seeing Donna's face. "You refused to talk with us earlier. You just went off with her," She gestured towards Sky, who was still talking with everyone. "Whispering away, making your little plans. I bet you both were part of this from the beginning, weren't you?"

"Even if they go, they've practically volunteered," The hostess's voice was decidedly cold.

"Oh, come on, just listen to yourself, please!" The Doctor was no longer patient or gentle. He was annoyed, and it showed.

"What d'you mean," Biff asked the hostess without taking his eyes off the Doctor. Val was giving Donna much the same look. "We throw them out as well?"

There was a long silence as the mob looked at each other, seeming to reach an agreement. "If we have to," the Hostess whispered.

"Look, just... Right, sorry, yes, hold on, just... I know, you're scared, and so am I, look at me, I am. But we have all got to calm down and cool off and think."

"Perhaps you could tell us your name." Hobbs suggested.

"What does it matter?" He asked.

"Then tell us." The hostess said.

"John Smith." Donna grimaced. Of all the names, he had to pick the obviously fake one.

"Your real name." Hobbs insisted.

"He's lying, look at his face." Biff added.

"I'll bet your name is fake as well!" Val spat at Donna

"Why won't you tell us?" Jethro (and Sky) asked the Doctor.

"They've been lying to us, right from the start!" Val refused to let them forget about Donna.

"No-one's called John Smith! Come off it!" Biff said, before everyone started talking loudly over each other again.

"Now listen to me," The Doctor kept trying to regain the control he lost a long while ago. "Listen to me right now! Because you need me, all of you, if we're gonna get out of this, then you need me.

"So you keep saying!" Hobbs said, "You've been repeating yourself more than her."

Val backed him up. "If anyone's in charge, it should be the Professor, he's the expert!"

"Mum, stop, just look..." Jethro touched her arm to get her attention.

"You keep out of this, Jethro," Biff snapped at his son.

"Look at her!" Jethro said, motioning towards Sky.

"She's stopped..." Dee Dee added, confused.

Everyone looked at Sky, who still hadn't moved throught the whole debate.

"She stopped?" The Doctor asked, confused. That didn't make any sense. "When did that happen?"

"She looks the same to me..." Val said. "No, she's stopped! Look, I'm talking, and she's not!"

"What about me," Biff checked, "is she...? Look! Look at that! She's not doing me, she's let me go!"

The Hostess tried next. "Mrs Silvestry?... Nor me! Nothing!"

"So no one is being thrown…" Donna started forcefully, then trailed off as she realized Sky was still speaking with her. "…Out" They finished together. She looked at the Doctor, her eyes wide and afraid.

* * *

><p>Uhh, so much dialouge!<br>If you liked it, hated it, had no opinion on it, pretty** please **review? It means a lot to me and believe it or not, it does kick me into writing. ;)  
>I'm hoping to make updates at least once a week, but don't quote me on that :p<p> 


	4. Questions

**Ack, sorry, did not mean to take so long. Stupid life, getting in the way  
>This one's not the longest, but in my defense, it's one am (again) and I probably should have been doing the 80 million other things I need to do.<br>I'll get the next one up asap, but it'll probably be sometime after the 19th.**

**Unbeta-ed, not edited too closely, and I'm American. Please inform me about any errors or mistakes. Spelling is probably a mix of both. Sorry.**

**Again, sorry for the wait.**

* * *

><p>The Doctor froze, thinking hard. One hand went to rub the back of his neck while he watched Donna crouch down near Sky.<p>

"Sky?" She asked the woman, not expecting an answer, nor getting one. She glanced back up at the Doctor and the other passengers. The people were huddled against the back, watching in silence with wide, scared eyes.

The Time Lord crouched down next to Donna, not meeting her worried gaze. He didn't want to give her the chance to read his eyes and see the fear he knew was visible. They both looked back at Sky, whose eyes never left Donna's.

"Sky?" The Doctor asked quietly, "What are you doing?"

Sky said nothing, just kept staring at Donna.

"Doctor?" Donna and Sky asked, "What's going on?"

"She's still doing it to her!" Dee Dee exclaimed in fear.

"It's her," Professor Hobbs said, thinking out loud. "She's only copying her."

"Why me?" Donna wasn't sure who she was asking, Sky or the Doctor.

"Donna," the Doctor rose and tugged at her shoulders. "Maybe you should back away."

Donna wanted to move. She wanted to move away so badly. She tried, but her muscles just refused to respond. She found she was unable to even break the other woman's gaze. She couldn't move her eyes. She couldn't move anything.

"They won't leave each other alone!" Dee Dee loudly proclaimed.

Val nodded vigourously, "D'you see? I said so, they were planning something before!"

Biff, as always, backed his wife. "They're together!"

The Professor daringly took a small step towards the Doctor. "How d'you explain it, Doctor? If you're so clever."

"I don't know," He was worried for his friend, and getting increasingly frustrated with both Sky and the other stupid apes. "Sky, stop it. I said stop it. Just stop it!"

Donna found she could move again. Not much, but she could turn her head. And talk. Talking is good. At least she was pretty sure talking was good. "Sky, please," They both said. "Stop."

"Look at the two of them!" If the Doctor was a more violent man, he would have punched Val just to get her to shut up.

The Doctor sat in a seat near the two frozen woman and leaned in. "Mrs Silvestry. I'm trying to understand. You've captured Donna's speech, what for? What d'you need?" He stood back up and started pacing back and forth in the tiny aisle, keeping Donna in his sight at all time.

"You need her voice in particular." The Doctor stopped talking to Sky and started talking mainly to himself. "A clever voice. But why not mine? Donna's brilliant, yes, but no one here has seen as much as I have. So why hers and not mine?" He spun on his heel and crouched behind his Donna. "Why don't you take my voice? Go on," He prompted that – that – _thing_ inside Sky. "Take it. I'm quite a bit cleverer than Donna. No offense, Donna. Whatever you are, let Sky go. Let Donna go. Take my voice."

"Doctor!" Donna wanted to smack him for being a self-sacrificing git. "Don't. Don't you do that to me. We talked about this." They had already had more than one heated argument about him giving himself up to save her. She refused to let him. While he had reluctantly agreed, they both knew it was only to placate her.

"Hush, Donna," He said it as gently as he could. "Unless you couldn't. Am I too strong for you? I could let you in. I can help you. Whatever you want, if it's life, or form, or consciousness, or voice, you don't have to steal it from anyone. You can find it without hurting people, or taking their voice. I'll help you, if you just let them go. That's a promise. So. What d'you think? Do we have a deal?

"That's not going to work, Doctor."

"That's not going to work, Doctor."

The huddled humans gasped at once and the Doctor actually took a step back in shock as they all realized what had happened. Sky had spoken first.

Dee Dee raised a shaking hand, pointing it at Sky. "Did she...?"

"Sky spoke first," Jethro confirmed what they didn't want to believe.

As per usual, Val tried to deny the truth, "She can't have."

"But she did," The professor argued.

"She spoke first!" Jethro's voice had gotten decidedly high pitched.

"Hush! All of you," The Doctor shushed them. "Donna? Sky?"

"Oh, look at that, I'm ahead of you." Sky – or whatever was controlling her – sounded very smug.

"Oh, look at that, I'm ahead of you." Donna had the same inflection, but underneath that, the Doctor could hear something a little off, though he couldn't place it.

"Did you see? She spoke first!" Hobbs exclaimed again.

Jethro nodded. "She's copying her now. They switched."

"Doctor, what's happening?" Professor Hobbs demanded an answer.

The Doctor turned to them angrily, a wild look in his eyes. "I don't – know! I'm working on it, but please, just shut up!"

"Well!" Val huffed, "The nerve!"

The stressed Time Lord ignored her and turned back to Donna. His Donna. Who he nagged and begged to come on this trip. It was all his fault she was in this mess. Once again, he ruined the life of someone he cared about. She was the last person he wanted this to happen to, and she definitely didn't deserve this after what happened to her in the Library.

"Donna?" He said softly, "Can you hear me? Can you tell me what's happening?"

"I think it's moved." Not exactly the woman he wanted to talk to.

"I think it's moved."

"I think it's letting me go." Well at least one person was safer, though the Doctor felt rather bitter about it. He wanted to help Sky, but not at the cost of Donna. Nothing could ever be more important than Donna's safety. Except for his need of her. If he really cared about her safety, he'd have taken her back home long ago. But he was a greedy, selfish old man that couldn't bring himself to let her go. He hated himself for that. No. Shut up. Focus. Donna.

"I think it's letting me go." She repeated.

"What do you mean?" Dee Dee asked Sky. "Letting you go from what?"

"It's her now!" Biff pointed at Donna. "She's the one doing it. She was up to something from the start!"

"They're separating," Jethro said, thinking hard.

Professor Hobbs was the brave one again, stepping forwards again. "Mrs Silvestry? Is that you?"

"Yes, yes, it's me." Some of the tension started to leave the group of humans.

"Yes, yes, it's me."

"I'm coming back, listen."

"I'm coming back..."

"It's me!"

"...listen. It's me!" Donna finished.

The humans kept glancing at the Doctor. He just stood there, tugging on his hair. He was unusually still, except for his eyes, darting back and forth as if he was watching something only he could see. They were unnerved by his behaviour, and especially disturbed by his eyes. They started to wonder if he was affected too.

* * *

><p>His mind was still his own. He would have instantly known if something attacked his barriers. He did a quick sweep of his mental walls, then went over them a little slower, checking to see if anything had snuck in silently. The Doctor didn't think anything was in his head, but wanted to make sure nothing was affecting his thought process. Thoughts were always swirling around his head, though he could usually focus when he really needed too. Except today.<p>

The whole process only took a few seconds and the Doctor concluded that the worry was disturbing his focus. Stupid. His superiour brain should be better than that. No. Not now. Worry about that later. Alien. Donna's head. Right.

There was something vaguely familiar about it, but couldn't quite recall it. There was no choice. He had to run through his memories. He flipped through them as fast as possible, seeing them in front of him. His eyes moved on their own accord. If he had thought about it, he would have closed them so he'd appear more normal.

His brain worked at an incredible speed, sorting out everything potentially useful. He hesitated when his memories reached his younger first self, before he left Gallifrey, but plowed on despite the pain the memories brought. As soon as he got through the Academy though, he had to stop. If he went much further, he would have drowned in the pain and loss, being of no help to Donna.

* * *

><p>While he was occupied, Sky started to move. First her head, though her eyes still didn't leave the ginger woman in front of her. Then her hands.<p>

"It's like it's passed into Donna," Jethro theorized. "It's transferred. Whatever it is, it's gone inside her now."

Dee Dee shook her head, unconvinced. "No, that's not it."

"But look at her!" Val protested.

Sky finally broke Donna's gaze to turn towards the confused humans. "Look at me, I can move..."

"Look at me..."

"I can feel again..."

"I can move... I can feel again..."

"I'm coming back to life..."

"I'm coming back to life..."

"And look at her, she can't move."

"And look at her, she can't move."

"Help me."

"Help me."

"Professor?" She raised her hand up towards Hobbs, who wasn't sure what to do.

"Professor?"

"Get me away from her."

"Get me away from her."

"Please?"

"Please?

Hobbs stepped forwards hesitatingly, carefully avoiding getting too close to the motionless Donna. He glanced at the Doctor, who was exactly the same, except his rapid eye movement had stopped. He reached for Sky's hand and helped her up.

* * *

><p>The Doctor's brain had separated any useful information, and now he was going through it, a little slower so he could catch the details. His subconscious had helpfully decided to alphabetize all the potential species the thing could be.<p>

4-5-6? No, they take younger ones. Not the Animus, Midnight isn't anywhere near the Isop galaxy. The Bane couldn't survive in the xtonic light. The Beast's species would have tried to control us all. Not the Berserkers' style, too underhanded. Probably not a Bruydac, Donna would have noticed one of those before it even got near. _Think!_ Carrionites, Eknodine, no. Eve would have had to be in the shuttle with us, so not unless she can change her shape too. Not the Gelth. Gorgons, if they've evolved enough. No, Sky would have died. Not an Isolus or a Krynoin. Not the Master. He's dead. Stop thinking about him. Ood brain? Too far away. Not a multiform. A Skith would have died, a Tenza would have affected more. A Veil? No. Not a Vondrax or Xeraphin, It must be a Trans-dimensional being I haven't seen before. Damn.

* * *

><p>While the Doctor went through his list, Sky had joined the others.<p>

"Oh, it was so cold," She told them, getting sympathy.

"Oh, it was so cold."

"I couldn't breathe."

"I couldn't breathe."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry."

"I must've scared you so much."

"I must've scared you so much."

Val made a sympathetic noise and reached for her. "No, no, it's all right, I've got you, ohh, there you are my love, it's gone, everything's all right now."

"I wouldn't touch her," Dee Dee warned.

"But it's gone," Biff protested, "she's clean, it passed into him."

"That's not what happened." She argued.

"Thank you for your opinion, Dee," her boss said curtly, "but clearly, Mrs Silvestry has been released."

"No..." She started before Val interrupted.

"Just leave her alone! She's safe, isn't she? Jethro? It's let her go, hasn't it?"

He nodded. "Think so, yeah. Looks like it. Professor?"

"I'd say, from observation... Donna can't move, and when she was possessed, she couldn't move, so..."

"Well, there we are then! Now the only problem we've got is her. And her friend."

"It's inside her head." Sky said, with Donna following close behind, "Maybe it's getting in his too. It killed the driver. And the mechanic. And now it wants us."

The Doctor, having concluded that he knew nothing, came back to the present in time to hear the last bit of Sky's speech. "What? No! It just wants to learn." He hoped.

"You wouldn't know, Doctor, unless he was in your head too," Sky shot back at him. "He's waited so long, in the dark, and the cold, and the diamonds. Until we came. Bodies so hot, with blood, and pain." Donna repeated everything in a dead voice, disturbing all of them, but Val most of all.

"Stop, oh, my God, make him stop, someone make him stop!"

"Stop it, both of you!" The Doctor yelled back. "You're not helping at all!" He roared at Sky.

"And you can shut up!" Val screamed back at him, before pointing to Donna. "I want her to stop!"

"But it's not Donna," Dee Dee debated, "it's her, she's just repeating!"

"But that's what the thing does, it repeats!" Biff argued back.

* * *

><p>Donna could hear yelling, though the sound seemed off, like she was underwater. Maybe she was. She wished someone would come get her out before she drowned. It felt like she was going to very soon. She wondered where the lifeguard was. She'd been under for a while now; he should have been here ages ago. She's going to give someone a piece of her mind when she got out. A lifeguard has to pay better attention. Why isn't anyone helping?<p>

She was cold. Very, very cold. And it was so dark. Must stay out of the shadows. What's in the shadows? She can't stay out of the shadows if there's no light. She could hear the sounds of people yelling, but not their words. Did they think she was already dead? Is she dead? Is this the afterlife? What a rubbish place to spend the rest of eternity.

Are they really going to leave her body suspended in the cold water? Maybe they couldn't see her in the dark. She wished she could move to get their attention.

Nobody is coming. Nobody is ever going to come.

She was alone. She couldn't picture anyone's face. She couldn't remember her own looked like. She couldn't remember her name, if she even ever had one.

Donna was completely, utterly, totally alone.


End file.
